Balance
by Monica Moss
Summary: When Danny brought his friends into the portal with them that day, he never would've guessed it would lead to so much trouble. With their destinies hanging in the line, what can the three of them do to come out alive?
1. The Vapor of Time and Reality

**Hi there! I just wanted to say, if you like this story you have to thank. Why? Because this was written for 's challenge!**

The Vapor of Time and Nature

Danny wondered briefly what had happened to get him into being about to follow his friends into his parents' portal. Oh yeah.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ..._

_Danny, annoyed at the buzzing fly, swatted at it with his sweaty hands to scare it away. "Stupid fly," he mumbled as it finally flew off._

_He knew it was just the three of them in the lab – at the moment – but his parents would be back soon. He looked nervously at the clock, half-expecting its hands to have jumped to ten, when his parents said they'd be back in the lab trying to fix the faulty Fenton Portal._

_But the hands didn't say it was ten. They said it was nine-thirty, so he and his friends still had another half-hour left before they were guaranteed to get caught. All the same, Danny wished his friends would be just be satisfied already. He didn't want to get caught in the lab with unauthorized personnel at any time of the day._

_"Are you guys done looking around yet?" he asked Sam and Tucker. "I've shown you my parents' stuff, I've taken a picture with the stupid jumpsuit, and I've even told you a bit about the portal. Can we go now?"_

_Sam and Tucker huddled together. After a few seconds, they broke away and Tucker said, "On one condition."_

_"Yeah?"_

_Sam smiled. "You've got to ..." she said, making Danny a little nervous, "take a closer look at that portal! Go and see what sort of awesome cool stuff is on the other side."_

_"I told you – it doesn't work!" Danny objected._

_Tucker snorted. "Knowing your parents? They probably just forgot to turn it on or something."_

_"Yeah," said Danny, "but ... "_

_"Come on." Sam pleaded. "Please?"_

_Danny looked at the floor. He sighed. "Alright, I'll go in to my parent's stupid ghost portal." Sam and Tucker cheered. "But only if you two go in with me." He added._

_Danny expected his friends to protest and try to get out of it, but they didn't. To his dismay, they just looked at each other, shrugged, and said, "Fair enough."_

_Danny inwardly groaned – who knew how long that would take?_

_Seeing his friends about to go inside and turn on the portal while wearing only their street clothes for protection, he called, "Wait! That thing's a major electrical hazard. Maybe we'd better put on some sort of protective clothing first." Danny held up the jumpsuit Sam had taken a picture of him with to show exactly what he meant._

_"Come on," said Tucker. "Nothing's going to happen – right Sam?"_

_Sam scowled. "It's better safe than sorry. I vote we put the jumpsuits on."_

_Danny and his friends grabbed spare matching jumpsuits from one of the the cupboards and slid them on. The jumpsuits felt weird, but they fit._

_Sam and Tucker quickly peeled off the stickers of Danny's dad that decorated the chest of their jumpsuits. When Sam saw that Danny hadn't done anything about the sticker on his jumpsuit, she ordered. "Stop right there!"_

_"Huh?" Danny asked, turning to face her._

_Sam yanked the sticker off his jumpsuit and explained: "You can't go walking around in the Ghost Zone with this on your chest." Tossing the sticker aside, she declared. "We're ready –let's go in!"

* * *

_

Danny should've gotten the clue when that part of his life started to flash in front of his eyes, but he didn't. Reluctantly, he went with his friends into the portal. They were deep enough in that it was dark when Danny tripped. Danny fell into his friends and all three of them headed toward the ground – but something happened before they got there.

One of them must have fallen into the side of the portal, because an electric circuit was completed and a strong current rushed through them. They couldn't help it – the pain was too much for any of them – and they screamed.

After they'd all hit the ground, Danny shakily got up and turned around. "Guys?" he called. "I think we'd better get out of this portal."

With them all experiencing the shock that comes after receiving an injury, not even Sam tried to argue. "Okay," she said. "Come, Tucker." The three of them stumbled out of the portal and collapsed on the floor of the lab.

All three were on their hands and knees panting for a minute, before any of them regained the strength to speak. Tucker probably shouldn't have been talking so soon, but he was the first one to do so. "Danny, Sam," he said. "You two ... look different."

Danny and Sam quickly examined themselves and each other. "We do look different ... " Sam said finally, "and so do you."

"ME?" Tucker yelped, and examined himself.

All three of them did look different. Although their jumpsuits were still matching, the fabric's colors had been inverted. Sam herself was completely black and white, except for a streak of violet running through her hair. Danny's hair had turned white, his hair had green, and his skin had gained a slight tan. Tucker's skin and eyes were completely colored blue – not even the whites or pupils of his eyes retained their normal color. All three of them had strange amulets hanging from their necks. They looked again at each others' strange appearances, with their numb minds taking a bit of time to process the significance of the information.

Then they all gasped in unison, realizing that the new appearances were probably permanent. Sam and Tucker glared at Danny. "Those protective suits worked _real well_ dude," Tucker said sarcastically. "Look what happened to us! Look at these strange mutations! I don't wanna be a mutant!"

"I'm sorry guys," Danny mumbled. "But hey – at least we weren't killed, right?" The timing of his comment was laughable. As soon as he got the words out of his mouth, his right arm phased into the floor, getting him stuck in an awkward position.

"What was that?" Tucker asked.

Sam's eyes went wide as she realized what was wrong with Danny – and what was wrong with the rest of them too. "We're ghosts!" she shrieked. "We didn't survive that accident!"

"What?" Danny asked. "We're ghosts?"

"Nuh-uh," said Tucker. "There's no way we're ghosts. We're all way too young to die! I'm going to look in that portal, say that I don't see our corpses, and then laugh at the thought."

As he slowly turned himself around, Sam crawled over to help Danny get his arm out of the floor. Tucker got a good look at the empty portal and laughed. He called to his friends, "See for yourselves – we're not in there!"

As Sam and Danny took a look, something occurred to Danny. "Uh, guys?" he said nervously. "Mom was saying earlier today how the voltage needed to power that thing would be way more than enough to kill humans – it would be enough to vaporize them!"

"Vaporize?" Sam and Tucker repeated, and gulped.

"Yikes! We really are ghosts, aren't we?" said Tucker.

Danny put his face in his hand. "I should have never let us go in there," he moaned. "Not even with these jumpsuits. The electricity was way more than they could handle!"

Sam took a deep breath. "Well," she said. "I guess we were all stupid enough to go in there and get killed. I think it's time we stop feeling sorry for ourselves and move on. Being a ghost could be sort of cool!"

Danny and Tucker looked at Sam. "Just breathe," she told them. "Even if it's not necessary, it'll still clear your mind."

They did so and immediately felt a little better. That is, until Danny thought of another problem. "G-guys?" he said. "We're still in my parents' lab – and they're ghost hunters! What if they walk in and see us like this?"

Danny looked up at the clock to see how much time they had before his parents were sure to be there. But then he noticed something – the clock still read nine-thirty and its hands weren't moving. "I don't know long we have until they come down here to get back to work," he told his friends. "The clock's broken."

Sam didn't seem worried. "Danny, Tucker, ...take a look at this. This is just weird – even weirder than us being ghosts." She pointed to something up in the top left corner of the lab.

Danny and Tucker followed her finger, and eventually found the small thing she was looking at. It was the fly that was bothering Danny - frozen in mid-flight – almost as if time were not moving at all. "I don't think the clock's broken," Sam whispered.

"Very good," came a strange male voice from the same corner of the room the fly was in. A moment later, the speaker and a female ghost turned visible. The speaker smiled at the three friends. "You've caught on."

Danny, Sam, and Tucker dropped their jaws. They wanted to ask the other ghosts in the lab who they were, but they found their mouths were too dry to ask.

However, it became unnecessary for them to ask. The female ghost floated forward and said. "I am Lifecycle, and this is my brother Clockwork. You'd recognize us by the names of Mother Nature and Father Time. You, Daniel Fenton, Samantha Manson, and Tucker Foley, are the new candidates for a very special position in your local dimensions."

At that moment, rings appeared around Sam's waist, and spread. They transformed her back to the human girl she was before the accident. Shortly afterward, the same happened for Danny and Tucker.


	2. The Beginning of a Mission

**Thank you if you ... read this ... reviewed this ... faved this ... alerted this ... had anything to do with this! You guys are awesome!**

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**JuneLuxray -Thanks for reviewing. Enjoy the chapter!  
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**Luiz4200 - Danny bringing his friends into the portal was (and using two of those paragraphs) part of the challenge. Thank Shadowfox for that part. No, I didn't find the name anywhere else.  
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**Shadowfox - Thanks!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. (Or two paragraphs from the last chapter - they're Shadowfox's. I guess I should've mentioned those earlier.)

* * *

The Beginning of a Mission

"What the?" Danny exclaimed, seeing them all change back to normal. "I thought we were dead!"

"Not yet," Clockwork replied. "But you could be very, very soon."

"Not that it isn't great that we're back to normal," said Tucker, "but what's going on here? What's up with all this weird stuff?"

"As I said, you are the new candidates for a very special position in your local dimensions," Lifecycle told them. "We need one, and only one, of you to be a ghost/human hybrid – a halfa. You are our candidates."

"But why us?" Tucker asked. "We're just kids!"

Clockwork nodded. "And that means you're more teachable than your typical adult candidate," he explained. "The three of you are all halfas at the moment, but at the end of your testing period, only one of you will be allowed to keep that status. You must understand that we expect only your best during your evaluation."

"The one of you that becomes the new halfa will be expected to understand, protect, and add to that which is good in both your world and in the Ghost Zone," Lifecycle said. "You will work for me, the Master of Life and Death, my brother, the Master of Time, and anyone else who's charged with keeping the fabric of reality at its best."

"Sounds like a big job," Danny mumbled. "I'm not sure I could do it."

Clockwork chuckled. "You are one of the candidates," he reminded Danny. "You wouldn't have been chosen if you weren't up for the challenge."

"But you're the Master of Time!" Sam said. "Couldn't you just look into the future and tell which one of us is best for the job?"

Sam's question made Clockwork and Lifecycle laugh. "If one of you three are going to be our new halfa, you've got a lot to learn about the way reality works!" Lifecycle said.

The three teenagers were puzzled. "What do you mean?" Danny asked slowly. "Why couldn't he just look into the future and see which one of us is best?"

"Time and reality are not set in stone," Clockwork said. "The choices every person makes affects the way anything turns out. I can only see the possibilities. Now listen, this is important. There are three main pathways each of your destinies may take: to be returned to your full human status, to die, or to become the new halfa. Your choices will help determine your destiny."

"So about this test," Tucker said. "Is it multiple choice?"

Clockwork and Lifecycle laughed again. "Multiple choice, huh?" Lifecycle laughed.

"I'd take that as a no," Danny said.

"Let's just say it's open book," said Clockwork.

"Open book?" Tucker asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"One of the first things you'll learn about us," Lifecycle informed the teenagers, "is that anything we say will make a lot more sense once you understand the way things work. If you don't, you may have trouble with the interpretation. When my brother says it's an open book test, he means that we've left you all your own instruction books on your bed – and you'd be advised to use them. Review and study them every day."

Sam asked. "Exactly how big are these books? And more importantly, how many trees did you have to kill to make them?"

Lifecycle laughed. "You do realize who you're talking to – right child? We knew what we were doing when the books were made. But if you're that worried about the trees, then the best way to make it right for them would be to make sure that you do not treat the books lightly."

Clockwork nodded. "Try to master everything in your first instruction books. When you do, then you'll be ready for more and you'll advance to higher knowledge. You can be assured that anything in the books is absolutely vital for a halfa to know – otherwise they'd be wasting space. We are not wasteful."

Lifecycle changed the topic by saying, "You do not have to do this test alone. Along with your books, we've left you a way that we can communicate with each other. If you need help, ask."

"We may be a bit unusual in our methods of answering your questions, but however we help, it will be for the best," said Clockwork. "For example, we will be removing what's happened here from your conscious memories in just a moment. You should not have access to this conversation during your test."

"Your gonna remove our memories?" Danny asked.

"We're going to remove your _conscious_ memories," Clockwork said. "There's a difference."

Lifecycle smiled at the kids. "You will get this back after the test," she said. "Don't worry. Be good students and make good choices, okay?"

"Wait!" Danny called. "What is the test?"

"It's a test of your character. It's time to begin," said Clockwork, nodding. Lifecycle pointed one arm at Danny and his friends and pure white energy rushed toward them. They were hit, but not hurt, despite the fact that they were made unconscious.

Clockwork removed the medallions from their necks and declared, "Time in!" In a twirl of his time staff, time restarted and he and his sister were gone.

After the ghosts left, Danny, Sam, and Tucker all woke up. "Dude," Tucker said. "Why are we wearing these jumpsuits?"

"They're spares from the cupboard. We've got to put them back, then hurry and get out of here before my parents find us."

Danny, Sam, and Tucker got up and took the jumpsuits off from over their clothes. They shoved them inside the cupboard and ran out of the lab.

* * *

Danny went to his room early that night. His parents had caught him and his friends coming out of the lab, so he was grounded. For the next week, he'd be going to bed at six, and he couldn't hang out with his friends.

"Great," he mumbled to himself. "My computer's not working, so now what do I do?"

It was then that he saw a glowing book sitting on his bed. "Huh?" he asked himself. "What's this?"

Curious, he picked the book up off his bed and a note slipped out. "Maybe this will tell me," he said, picking up the note.

_Daniel,_

_You and your friends have been selected as candidates for a peculiar position. You are being tested to see if you'll let yourselves qualify. Here is the first set of instructions for your test._

_Do not tell your parents about what you are until after you secure the position._

_- CW & LC_

_PS. Your name for the test is 'Phantom.'_

"What in the world?" Danny asked, completely befuddled by the note. He picked up the book. "I might as well," he mumbled. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."

Just as he sat down with the book, a disembodied voice hissed, "_You._ _Hey you! Weirdo!"_

Startled, Danny looked around.

"_That's right, Fenton,"_ said the voice. _"I'm talking to you._"


	3. Viewing the Test Takers

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**JuneLuxray - Beware of cliffies!  
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**Hraclio - So far, Danny's had the most trouble with his intangibility.**

**:)**

Disclaimer: As much as any DP fan writer would love to own DP, we don't.

* * *

Viewing the Test Takers

"Who are you?" Danny asked, looking around his room – but there was no one there the voice could belong to.

"_A friend_," the voice said, more loudly this time. "_Now listen very closely. You don't really want to be stuck in your room, right?_"

Danny nodded.

"_I can get you out of here – and your parents won't even catch you sneaking out."_

Danny frowned. "But I'm grounded," he said. "I'm not supposed to leave my room."

The voice laughed. "_C'mon – what are you chicken?_" it said. "_What your parents don't know won't hurt them. I mean, if you're not supposed to tell them about your candidacy__, then what they don't know can't hurt them, right?_"

"But I can't get out of here without my parents knowing," he said. "Besides, I'd rather figure out what this glowing book is doing in my room."

"_Danny, Danny. You don't really want to read that thing, do you? Just look at the size of that thing!_" Danny took a look at the book and noticed it was pretty thick. "_You'd be here all day when you could be out having fun. Unless of course, you're a loser that would rather study than go out with his friends and have fun?_"

"Well ... " Danny said, considering.

Before Danny could make a decision, there was a calm whisper in his ear: "You know you shouldn't be leaving your room when you're grounded. Your parents are trying to teach you that there's danger down in the lab – and they'd be disappointed in you if they knew what you were doing."

"_Come on!_" the voice thundered. "_So what if you go out and have fun this one time? Surely one time isn't a big deal? Besides, it's not your fault Sam and Tucker wanted to go down there, is it?_"

Danny really wanted to get out of his room. He hadn't really wanted to go down there with his friends in the first place – so why should he be in trouble? He smiled. "It sounds like fun," he said.

"You know you shouldn't," the other voice whispered. "This is a chance to read the instructions on how to pass your test!"

"Maybe later," Danny replied. "Right now, it's time to party! How do I sneak out of here?"

* * *

Back in his tower, Clockwork was watching what was going on in Danny's room. He tsked and shook his head. "When we didn't want you to tell your parents, it was because they're not ready to know their son's half-ghost yet. Disobeying your parents is not the way to prove that you're worthy to be the new halfa. Luckily for you, the test has only just begun. You may not know how long the test is, but unless you change your ways, no length would be sufficient for you to prove your character."

Lifecycle slid into the room with her brother. "How are they doing?" she asked. "Have they all discovered their instructions yet?"

"Almost all of them," Clockwork answered. "Foley got a little distracted, but he's not doing as poorly as Fenton is at the moment."

"Oh? And how is that?"

"Fenton discovered the instructions all right, but he's completely ignoring them. He followed the fox's lead to sneak out while he's grounded."

Lifecycle shook her head. "A very poor start to his test indeed. Where is the trickster planning on taking him?"

"This time, he's meeting up with his friend Tucker at an arcade. He'll make it home safely and without quite getting caught - as he will the next time. But after that? We both know how fond Foxy is of lulling his followers into a false sense of security."

The image on the view screen showed Danny and Tucker competing against each other on a motorcycle racing game. "But he will feel some poor effects of his choice soon," Clockwork added. "Foxy only taught him how to access his intangibility and flying powers when he wants to escape from his room – not how to control them."

The event Clockwork was talking about occurred on the view screen. Danny was close to beating Tucker in the racing game – approaching the finish line – when he went intangible and fell off the motorcycle.

Tucker floored the gas, and shot ahead – winning the race. He jumped off the motorcycle shouting, "Yes! I won! In your face dude!"

Meanwhile, Danny was trying to grab onto his motorcycle to pull himself back up, but he was having problems. Every time he tried grabbing on, his hands went right through!

"Tucker!" he called. "Help!"

Tucker went over to help his friend, but Danny started floating up out of reach. Danny was sweating, unsure of how he'd get back down to the ground – or back home before he was missed – when he just fell.

"Heh-hem," came a voice from Clockwork's doorway.

Without turning around, Clockwork said, "Oh great – it's the Observants. Those eyeballs with limited perspective."

"What do you want here?" Lifecycle snapped at the duo on the doorstep.

"We were just wondering exactly what you two are thinking," said one.

The other nodded. "With all the barriers you are placing in those children's way, we're starting to think that you don't want them to succeed. Wouldn't it be easier if they remembered that discussion you had with them? Or if you were to teach them yourselves?"

Clockwork and Lifecycle frowned, annoyed with the pesky one-eyed ghosts.

The first said, "And we know that you two didn't lock the fiend Foxy away forever – but you actually sent him out there, with the potential halfas. We asked you specifically to make sure he couldn't interfere in anything again!"

"Do you, or do you not, want the children to succeed?" the second Observant asked.

"Of course we want them to succeed!" shrieked Lifecycle. "We'd like them all to ace the test with flying colors, but that would teach them nothing. They're supposed to be learning how to be the halfa out there – not how to have everything handed to them on a silver platter!"

"We know what we're doing," said Clockwork. "Now I would suggest leaving. You cannot help with this project. Their ability to choose wisely is the key to their success. The freedom to choose is the very best gift they could have in and beyond their test."

The Observants left in a huff after warning, "You'd better know what you're doing, or those kids are doomed!"

"I know," Clockwork whispered. "But it's all up to them."

Lifecycle suggested to calm things down, "Let's take a look at what Miss Manson is doing, shall we?"

Clockwork nodded and changed the image on the view screen.


	4. Removing a bit of Doubt

**Just so everyone's aware - I'll be on vacation next week and won't be updating anything. Sorry!**

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**JuneLuxray - More mature than Danny anyway.**

**:)**

Disclaimer: It's called fan fiction for a reason.

* * *

Removing a bit of Doubt

Sam circled the paragraph that said how to apply the main lesson she'd just read in the chapter. She'd finished two chapters that afternoon – one was a general moral lesson for the candidates, and the other was a practical and ethics lesson on using intangibility. According to the instructions, she was supposed to save those around her – even the conformists and enemies of the environment – from getting really hurt. That would take a lot of patience on her part.

She'd gotten a note signed by a 'CW' and an 'LC.' Just who did those people think they were? She was cool with being wanted to help local dimensions, but why did she have to save people who were working to slowly destroy the environment? Never mind the moral lesson, she had something else she was going to work on. If it didn't work, which it probably wouldn't, then she'd know the book was a fraud and nothing to get upset over anyway.

After placing the book on her nightstand, Sam got up and locked her door to make her room more private for a while, not that she hadn't done all she could to keep her parents out beforehand. She didn't think it would be good if her parents found her attempt to phase right through her bed. She had to do this alone to avoid being dragged to a shrink.

Okay. Now it was time to focus on her superpowers.

Remembering the book's instructions, she lay down on her bed and tried to imagine her body as inconsequential. After a few moments, she curiously opened one eye. She was still on top of her bed.

The instructions had said that she was supposed to have slowly sunk through the bed as she created the change in her state of mind and in her body. The phony!

Growling, she knocked the book onto the floor with her hand. She was surprised to see what looked like a cell phone with only one button on the keypad rise up out of her nightstand.

She picked it up and looked it over. "What is this thing?" she asked out loud. "I hope it's eco-friendly." The only thing left to do to find out what it did was to push the button.

The thing was a phone. When she pushed the button, she heard it ringing on the other end. "Hello Sam," came a female voice on the other end.

Hello Sam? Sam didn't even know who the phone called, let alone how they knew her name. "Who is this?" she demanded. "How do you know who I am?"

The female voice just laughed. "Did you read the introduction in your book?" the voice asked. "It's not just a bunch of useless fluff. We told you that everything in the book was absolutely essential for your education."

"No, really," Sam said. "Who is this? Who is 'we?'"

Sam found the introduction page of her book and skimmed it until she found what looked like the paragraph she needed:

_You know us as Mother Nature and Father Time. You will not remember us, but we have met. It is our job to help you succeed in this, your test for the position of the halfa. If you prove yourself and are selected for the position, you will be working for us to help ensure the best possible turnout for time and reality. You will eventually be able to become like us in our positions._

_Prove yourself, child, and live._

Sam laughed. "You actually think you're Mother Nature?" she asked. "Then why did you kill those poor trees to get me this book?"

"I know this seems strange to you, but you've got to trust me on this one." There was a sigh, "This was exactly why you were supposed to read the introduction."

"Oh really?" Sam asked. "I'm supposed to believe that you're Mother Nature, that you killed a tree to teach me how to save the universe, and that I have superpowers? Do you know how much I'm willing to bet that you're wrong?"

"You called for help in using intangibility," the woman said, "but you don't believe anything that's necessary to use it. You must gain some confidence in what you've expressed doubt in tonight before I can help you learn to use your powers. Go talk to your friends Tucker and Danny, and think about if what I'm telling you is really so impossible."

The line went dead.

"Hello?" Sam called. "Hello, Mother Nature?" she said somewhat mockingly. "Could you tell me who you really are now?" Sam rolled her eyes. "As if," she mumbled.

Sam threw the phone under the bed and left her room.

* * *

Danny, Sam, and Tucker sat at the back of their history classroom, whispering to each other.

Sam looked at her friends and asked, "Did you two get a weird glowing book from 'Mother Nature' and 'Father Time' too?"

"Yeah," Tucker replied. "So which of us do you think will get the job?"

Sam snorted. "I'm just wondering who they really are, because it's obvious that they're fakes. I mean, Mother Nature wouldn't kill trees to make books for three teenagers, would she? And I'm guessing neither Mother Nature or Father Time would send us instructions on how to use powers we don't have. Going right through solid objects? Yeah right."

Danny and Tucker looked at each other. "Uh..." they said.

Sam didn't appear to notice the boys' reaction as she continued her rant. "Plus," she said, "I'm supposed to stop the people who chop down trees, wreck the environment, and cause poor innocent animals to be hurt from getting hurt themselves?"

Danny started sinking through his chair. "Um, Sam?"

"What?" Sam said, as she looked over and saw what Danny was doing. "Wait! How are you doing that?"

"I don't know!" Danny whisper-shouted. "Just help me out of here!"

Sam and Tucker reached over their desks and grabbed their friend's arms. They gently tugged him upward, until he wasn't sitting, literally, in his seat. "Thanks," Danny said. "You said there were instructions Sam?"

"Yeah," she said. "Chapter two. I thought they were a joke." Sam's stomach rolled over as she realized that the book wasn't as much of a prank as she'd thought.

"Chapter two?" Danny asked. "Then what's chapter one?"

"It's a lesson about saving people who disrespect the planetary ecosystem," Sam said annoyed.

"What?" said Tucker. "No it's not. It's a lesson about how we shouldn't let all the power we've got during the test go to our heads."

Sam and Tucker glared at each other, both thinking the other one was wrong. Danny looked between the two, and something occurred to him. "Wait a minute," he said. "Maybe those books are unique to us. I mean, let's say there was a cheerleader that hated computers, but loved wearing real fur. Tuck, would you save her even though she thought differently than you about technology?"

"Of course I would!" said Tucker. "If I saved her, I could demand that she repay me by becoming my girlfriend."

Sam rolled her eyes at Tucker's response. "Sam?" Danny asked her. "Would you save that cheerleader even though she disagrees with you about animal rights?"

"No," she admitted.

"Exactly," Danny said. "Tucker would let the power go to his head by thinking he's entitled to dating the girls he saved, and Sam would refuse to save someone because of a difference of opinion."

Danny's friends did not look happy with him pointing out their flaws. "And you?" Tucker asked. "What was chapter one about in your book?"

Danny looked uncomfortable. He squirmed in his seat and mumbled. "I haven't actually read any of the book yet."

Tucker laughed. "Maybe chapter one's on following instructions, or not being so judgmental of your friends!"

"You'd better start reading that book, Danny," Sam said. "Don't forget the introduction."


	5. The First and Second Chapters

**Thanks to all who reviewed, read, faved, alerted, etc.**

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Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom's copyright. (Nickelodeon and Butch Hartman do.)

* * *

The First and Second Chapters

Danny glanced up at the clock on the bowling alley's wall. It was five forty – twenty minutes before he was supposed to be home, spending the rest of the evening alone in his room. He groaned. "I'm sorry guys, but I'd better be going home now. I'm still grounded to my room after six."

"Okay, later dude," said Tucker.

As Danny left the bowling alley, Sam called after him: "Don't forget to read that book!"

Danny smiled to himself as he remembered there was something he could do that evening after all. "I won't!" he assured his friends.

He made it home fine, with minutes to spare. "Hey," he greeted his parents as he passed through the living room.

"Danny!" Jack called. "Check this out! It's the Fenton Ghost Finder – and it's nearly complete. Do you want to take a look?"

Danny shook his head, only mildly thankful that he had an excuse as to why he couldn't take a look. "I'm sorry Dad," he said. "I'm grounded to my room after six, remember? I've got to get up there."

Danny ran up to his room before his dad could say anything and quickly closed the door behind him. "Now to read that book," he said to himself.

He was approaching the book, when it again occurred to him how big and thick the book was.

"_You know you don't want to read that,"_ a familiar voice told him.

Danny frowned. Why was it that the voice seemed to speak to him every time he was about to read his instructions? Yet, he found himself agreeing with the voice a little more than he had the last time – he didn't really want to read that thick book.

Even with the out-of-control intangibility and flight, he'd had a blast the last time he'd blown off his grounding and reading his book. He wanted to have more fun, and he knew how to get what he wanted.

"_That's right," _the voice purred. _"Just think of all the fun you could be having. You can't possibly prefer reading a boring instruction book to that?"_

This time, there was no second voice trying to tell him not to sneak out. Nothing told him to stay in his room and read the book instead.

* * *

Back at the bowling alley, Sam was distracted. She had this strange feeling that she should text Danny just to check up with him.

She stepped up to the line to release her bowling ball, only to have it go into the gutter without knocking down any pins. She heard Tucker snickering at her, and glared at him. "What?" she snapped.

Tucker had a hard time containing his laughter long enough to say, "You sure are a bad aim when there's something on your mind!"

"Oh, and you're not?" she replied. "Look, I know this mission thing is real now. In fact, I read some more of the book when I ran home after school to get my bowling stuff. It was something about communication between CW and LC and us. I'm wondering if this strange feeling I have about Danny is that weird communication method the book described."

Tucker just shrugged. "Whatever," he said. "I just know that if you keep playing like this I'm gonna win easy."

As Tucker stepped up to bowl, Sam pulled out her phone and sent a text to Danny. All the text did was ask if he was reading, but after sending it, she immediately felt better.

"Tucker," she said to herself, "get ready to go down."

* * *

Danny was starting to phase through his bedroom wall when his phone chimed, signaling that he had a text message. "Oops," he said. "Almost forgot my phone."

"_What are you doing?"_ the voice shouted at him. _"Whatever it is, it can wait. We're going to have fun, remember?"_

Danny ignored the voice and picked up his cell phone. Before he could flip it open and read his text, the voice said, _"The good times are waiting! Just COME WITH ME!"_

Danny flinched at the aggressiveness in the voice. "I..." he said, "I've got to take this. It might be important."

"_Do not waste time checking your messages. Come have fun you little spoil-sport!"_

Danny flipped his phone open and read the message out loud. "RU reading?" he read. "It's from Sam! Sam and Tuck will want to know if I've read tonight."

He put his cell phone down and ran over to his instruction book. _"Sam and Tuck?"_ the voice asked. _"Some friends they are. They expect you to sit around and read while they're out having fun? Just make something up to tell them tomorrow. They'll never know!"_

Danny didn't want to let his friends down, but a part of him did want to sneak out and have fun. He had to decide fast – the voice would never leave him alone if he didn't make a strong decision.

It was then that the voice who had told him not to sneak out in the first place returned. "Danny," it whispered. "Don't disappoint your friends, your parents, or CW and LC. You're better than sneaking out and lying to cover it up."

"_Don't listen to that guy,"_ the first voice said. _"He just doesn't want you to ever have any fun."_

Danny shook his head, decision finally made. "No," he told the first voice. "He's right. I know better than to sneak around and lie to people like that."

"_But you've already done it once,"_ the voice argued. _"You've already messed up."_

"I know," Danny mumbled. "I just hope I can make up for that." Danny opened to the introduction of the book.

"_NO!" _screamed the voice. _"NO! PUT THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW YOU GHOST-HUMAN MONSTROSITY!"_

Danny, although he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to focus on reading at all with the voice insulting him and screaming at him, forced himself through the first paragraph.

"Give it up, fox," the calmer voice whispered. "He's made up his mind to read. You've lost. It's time for you to get out of here."

With a final cry of _"NOOooo!"_ the voice faded away until Danny could no longer hear it. He kept reading from the book in peace.

He finished the introduction, and read the first chapter. Danny's first chapter was about a trickster named Foxy, and how he was there to try to stop them from passing their tests. Part of the test was actually recognizing him in his various disguises and ignoring what he said.

Danny finished the chapter and groaned. "No wonder why he didn't want me to read my instruction book," he said sadly to himself. "But what do I do if I've already messed up and listened to him?"

To Danny's slight surprise, the calm voice that had helped talk him out of going along with Foxy once again whispered, "Look at the next chapter."

Danny turned the page and saw a chapter titled, "Fixing a Mistake." He smiled and read that chapter too. He was cool with what he saw until he saw a step that didn't sound too pleasant...

He gasped. "I have to tell Mom and Dad that I snuck out?"


	6. The Commitment of a Halfa

**Sorry about not updating sooner ... I was busy, then I was lazy. Sorry.**

**Review replies:**

**JuneLuxray2 - Hehe. Beware the evil cliffhangers! (But enjoy the rest of the chapters with the cliffies.)**

**Luiz4200 - Only if he wants to make up for what he did. (See this chapter.)**

Disclaimer: I do not own characters, movies, lines, etc. from Danny Phantom

* * *

The Commitment of the Halfa

Danny sat on the couch, cringing and waiting for the worst to come. He hadn't really wanted to tell his parents that he snuck out, be he'd supposed that he'd better tell them after reading that chapter in his book. He'd just told them.

His parents shouted at the same time, "YOU DID _WHAT_?"

"I know it was wrong," he whispered, "and I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

"Danny," Jack said sternly. "Your grounding was for your own good. You need to learn that you need to respect the rules of the lab. Something terrible could've happened to you or one of your friends! You could've become ghosts!"

"I know," Danny whispered. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you guys?"

Maddie smiled at her son. "If we hadn't found about this out from you, we'd be a lot more harsh on you for sneaking out, but since you admitted it, I'm going to give you a choice."

"Yeah?" Danny asked, surprised.

"You can either go on with your grounding, with an extra day to make up for the one you snuck out of," Maddie said, "or you can write a five-hundred word essay about why what you did was wrong and take and pass a laboratory safety exam and we'll forget about the rest of your grounding."

"You know, there was a movie I really wanted to see at six-thirty tonight," Danny said, "so I think I will do the essay and the test – thanks!" He smiled at his parents.

"But if you ever sneak out of grounding again," Jack warned, "we won't be so forgiving."

* * *

At a couple minutes to six, Danny handed his safety exam and his essay to his mom, and waited for her to grade his test. He wished she would hurry, but he held his tongue.

"Good job Danny," his mom finally said. "You're not grounded."

"Yes!" Danny shouted, ready to get out the door and join his friends to see the new Zombie Teacher movie. He ran out of the kitchen and out of the front door. "Thanks again!" he called back into the house. "I'll be back by ten. See ya!"

* * *

Back in his tower, Clockwork smiled. "He made the right choice," he said. "But will he and his friends go to the movie? It's time to see how committed they'd be if they were our new halfa."

Lifecycle nodded. "Time to release Diseree into their world," she said, understanding what her brother had meant. "I'll be standing by to save them if they have too much trouble with her."

* * *

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Danny had made it out in front of the cinema and had spotted his friends. "Hey guys!" he called. His friends looked surprised to see him.

"Danny?" Tucker asked. "I thought you were still grounded for another couple days."

Danny shook his head. "No," he said. "I worked out something else out for punishment with my parents. I'm not grounded anymore, so here I am!"

"Sweet!" said Tucker. "Now let's go get our seats!"

They were about to enter the theater, but something happened before they could get in. It was as though a sudden cold spell had just swept over the three of them, leaving everyone else in the area unaffected.

Tucker groaned. "Anyone else read chapter four?" he asked. Danny and Sam nodded.

"Ectoblasts," Danny said.

"First aid," Sam responded.

"Oh, that's right!" Tucker recalled. "Our books are all different. Well, for me it was sensing ghosts. The thing that just happened fit the description perfectly!"

Danny's eyes went wide. "You mean there's a ghost here?"

"We should find out what it wants!" Sam exclaimed. "We're supposed to be the ones who take care of it after all. We are training to be halfas."

Screams came from the direction of the concessions booth. "Something tells me it won't be hard to find," Tucker said.

The three friends ducked behind a large pinball machine out in the lobby and transformed. They flew out and rushed over to where a great green genie ghost was terrorizing movie-goers. "Hey!" Danny shouted at her. "Who are you?"

"I am Diseree," she replied, "granter of wishes."

"Really?" asked Tucker. "In that case ... "

"TUCKER!" his friends shouted.

"What?" the techno-geek asked. "I was just thinking maybe this ghost isn't all that bad."

"Have you ever read folklore about genies?" Sam asked. "They're not like in Disney's Aladdin. They'll grant your wishes, but they'll make you regret making the wish."

Tucker looked disappointed. "Oh," he said. "Hey, do you think she'll interfere with our movie if we went and watched it? It's starting in two minutes! Can we go please?"

As Tucker's friends glared at him, he mumbled, "I'll take that as a no."

"Tucker, focus!" Sam scolded him. "Fighting evil genies now, movies later."

Danny had already flown forward at Diseree, with ectoblasts ready to fire from each hand. He fired twice and missed both times. He'd flown too fast and nearly collided with Diseree, but she moved out of the way and grabbed him by the shoulder as he flew past.

"Guys!" he called, "Help!"

"Danny!" cried Sam. "I'm coming!" She flew up and punched Diseree hard.

"Ooof!" yelped Diseree as Sam's fist made contact. She let go of Danny, who fell about five feet before he could get his flight power under enough control to stop himself.

"Thanks!" Danny called. As Diseree turned on Sam instead, Danny sent a massive ectoblast flying at the genie's back. This time it didn't miss. "YES!" he cheered.

"Tucker," said Sam. "You can join in anytime now." She quickly looked around the lobby of the theater, but Tucker was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm gonna make you regret ditching us," she threatened.

But then, seeing that Danny was in trouble, she rushed to rejoin the fight. Danny was about to get by something huge and that looked ghost-proof, and Sam was scared that she couldn't get there in time to save him.

Danny froze in fear as he realized that he was about to get crushed, but miraculously he felt himself get whisked away from in front of the thing's trajectory at the last moment. "Huh?" he asked. "That's weird – but cool!"

He heard a voice chuckle and whisper, "Don't count on it once you're done with training. You need to learn to be more careful."

Danny recognized the voice, but he couldn't place where he'd heard it before. "Who are you?" he said. He looked around for the source of the voice, but he couldn't see anyone, and there was no reply.

It was then that Dash and Paulina walked into the theater. Paulina screamed when she saw the ghosts fighting in the lobby, and even Dash couldn't keep completely cool in front of another popular when there were ghosts around. "AARGH! GHOSTS ARE REAL?" he cried. There was just a moment's delay before he added, "And just as we got here. I wish the ghosts would just ... I dunno ... pass out or something so we could see the movie."

Diseree grinned. "Your wish is my command!" she exclaimed. Within three seconds, Danny and Sam were knocked unconscious and were falling out of the air. They landed behind a cardboard movie ad and switched back to their human forms.

Diseree disappeared herself a second later. "Cool!" said Dash, unable to believe his luck. "I guess we're free to enjoy the movie then."


	7. Halfas and Heroes

**I'm sorry about how long it took me to update this. Summer ends, and it ends much of my free time with it.**

**Review Replies:**

**JuneLuxray2: Just wait 'til you hear what Clockwork says about Danny's fail...**

**KP100: I know it's a little AU, but does Danny's lack of battle cry make him that OOC for this universe? Please tell me if it does.**

**Luiz4200: It's amazing how close people can get to discovering the truth without actually learning the halfas' secrets, isn't it? Well, okay, Jazz and Valerie did find out about halfas on their own, (My Brother's Keeper and D-Stablized,) but they actually saw them transform. It's AU, but I'm still trying to keep the characters in character.**

Disclaimer: I imitate Butch Hartman's work for fun, because Butch Hartman (not me) did a great job with the series he owns.

* * *

Halfas and Heroes

Foxy was fuming. Danny had stopped listening to him and had started listening to Clockwork and Lifecycle instead. He'd hoped that he could stop all three of the friends from becoming the new halfa so he'd have less opposition when he was powerful enough to attempt taking over the world, but Danny had started following the instructions, and Sam had stopped doubting who had left the instructions in the first place.

That was two of them that Clockwork and Lifecycle could consider 'worthy' to keep their powers – and that was two too many! At least he had some influence over their friend Tucker. Maybe even if he couldn't find a way to bring Daniel and Samantha down, Tucker could join him as the ghost of a failed halfa wanting to bring the world to its knees. After all, he'd sneaked a peek into Clockwork's work and had seen a dimension where Tucker had been mistaken for a reincarnated pharaoh and had gotten power-hungry enough to abuse all those around him. It was in Tucker's character.

He was unhappy that his last plans to bring Danny and Sam down had failed, but he'd come up with more. If he could convince both of them to abandon Clockwork and Lifecycle's instructions, then those two ghosts' plans to find a protector of the local dimensions would've gone horribly astray and leave the way open for him to take over. But if not, he would continue to work on their friend Tucker, and see if he could get someone else to use in doing his bidding.

Tucker, however would not be the first other failed halfa he could order around. Foxy knew of a young man that was a college student when he was tested and was found unfit to live...

Foxy knew he didn't have a lot of time if he wished to topple Fenton, Foley, and Manson. His peek into Clockwork's work had also shown him that the next day would be a vital day in the determining of the three friends' destinies. He'd better put his plan into motion.

* * *

Sam had shown her friends how to access that phone thing that came with their instruction manuals. It had been a valuable resource to them.

Danny called whenever he was unsure about what a part of his instructions were saying, or when he just needed extra help with halfa things. He remembered with just a little bit of amusement the day when he'd first used the phone thing to ask questions.

_Flashback:_

_"Ectoblasts, huh?" Danny mumbled after finishing the chapter. "A weapon I bring with me where ever I go? Sounds cool. I'm sure I'll need it if those ghost attacks that the book says are going to occur happen anytime soon."_

"You'll need your ectoblasts soon, alright," _the friendly voice that had been guiding Danny whispered. _"You'd better hurry with learning this power young Phantom."

_"Well, okay," said Danny, looking at the clock. "I don't think I'll be missed helping my parents in the lab for another hour anyways."_

_Danny had gotten out the old dart board he'd gotten for Christmas three years ago and had nearly forgotten about. He hung it up on the wall, and tried to shoot at it, but the ectoblasts wouldn't come._

_"Huh?" Danny wondered, and double-checked the instructions. "What did I do wrong?"_

_Instead of helping, the instructions made him even more confused. "I don't get this!" he griped. "If only I could have an actual teacher instead of just a confusing chapter from a book!"_

_At that point, he'd remembered something Sam had said to them earlier that day: _"That was more than chance that we talked about the books that day. I made a call with the phone that came with those instruction manuals and was told to talk to you guys. It was bound to come up sooner or later."

_"Phone?" he asked. "What phone?" On the word 'phone,' an odd phone appeared on his pillow. He grinned. "I guess it must be this phone!"_

_He picked it up and pushed the button. "Hello, Daniel," said a familiar voice._

_"Hey!" said Danny. "I know that voice. You're the one that's been whispering what I should be doing, aren't you?"_

_"That's true," said the voice. "My name is Clockwork. You and your friends are not alone with learning your powers. You called for help with your ectoblasts, and I will help you with them."_

_Clockwork guided Danny through learning to use his ectoblasts. Danny had them down in a couple of hours._

_End of Flashback_

But today Danny's question wasn't about his powers, it was about why things had happened the night before. He called and asked, "Clockwork, what happened last night? Why was there a ghost in the theater? Why did Dash have to show up and make that stupid wish?"

"What happened last night were choices, young Phantom," Clockwork said. "You and Sam chose that you were going to risk your own safety and help people rather than go to the movie. Tucker chose to go to the movie rather than help out and risk his own safety. Dash chose to make that "stupid wish," as you put it."

"Yeah, but who let him make that wish?" Danny mumbled. "Sam and I got hurt because of it!"

"Human life is all about choices. Human beings ultimately have the ability to make choices, even at the expense of others." Clockwork explained. "One of the things a halfa must learn is to make the right choices to be a force of good in the world. You and your friend Sam made the right choice, even if you didn't succeed this time. You put aside your needs and desires for the needs and freedoms of others. That is a quality that defines a halfa, and consequently, a hero."

"So when you explained in your note that you were looking for one of us to be a halfa, you meant that you were looking for one of us willing to be a hero, didn't you?" Danny asked, realizing now what the test was measuring.

"Not just a hero," Clockwork corrected, "but also a model of a life filled with wise and honorable choices."

Danny thought he understood, but he felt slightly overwhelmed by what Clockwork was looking for. "A wise and honorable hero?" he asked. "That's a tall order. Why me and my friends? We're just kids."

"We knew you were kids when we started your test," Clockwork said. "As I told your friend Tucker, that means you're more teachable than your typical adult candidate. It is easier to change your behavior while you are young. Now I'd get going if I were you. You don't want to be late for school."


	8. A New Call

**It's been a while since I've updated this story, I know. It's here now though, and the final chapter (Okay, so it's not long enough to count as a full chapter. I'm going to call it an epilogue.) is almost ready.**

**Speaking of this story, I need your help with something. I don't quite know which one of them is going to keep their powers, but I have three different versions of the epilogue drafted. I need you all to go to my profile and vote for the character that should have the powers.**

**Reviewers:**

**Luiz4200: Thanks!**

**JuneLuxray2: Here's an update for you. (A while after you asked.)**

**:) Enjoy! :)

* * *

**

A New Call

The three friends walked out of school just in time to find Paulina waiting for them. Sam groaned to herself. What was that awful cheerleader up to? To make things worse, she came just as their ghost senses were going off and they were supposed to sneak out. The boys, however, didn't seem to notice.

"Guys," said Sam. "We've got to go."

"Hey boys!" said Paulina waving at them. "I just realized that I want to date someone as cute and funny as one of you! Someone charming, and someone clever - not like Dash. So, which one of you wants to date me?"

Danny and Tucker's jaws dropped. This was a dream come true! "I do!" they said in unison.

Paulina started twirling her hair around one finger. "But of course, whichever one of you chooses me will have to be able to handle all the pressures of being popular and being one of the most influential students in school! Although, I'm sure either of you could handle it..."

"I want to date you!" both of the boys said.

"Oh no!" said Paulina. "You are both so cute and sweet. I don't know which one to pick! Okay, so who wants to ditch your friends go to the movies with me?"

Sam growled. "You'll date neither of them, and you are not making them ditch those who really care about them!" she said. "Leave my friends alone! Why are you suddenly so interested in them anyways?"

Danny blinked, processing something. The real Paulina would never in a million years even give him a second glance. This had to be some kind of trick. He looked at Paulina's eyes, and saw something. Paulina's eye color wasn't usually black. She had to be overshadowed. But then why didn't his ghost sense go off? Although, if it this was a trick, and it was a ghost talking to them instead of Paulina, then something told him Foxy had something to do with it.

"I'd love to go with you!" said Tucker. "Let's go!" He grabbed Paulina's arm and they ran off.

"Trust Paulina to ruin things," Sam said, crossing her arms.

"Uh, Sam? I'm not sure that was Paulina." Danny replied.

Sam's eyes went wide. "You're right!" she said. "That must have been the ghost we sensed – impersonating Paulina! We've got to go ghost and save Tucker!"

"We sensed a ghost?" Danny asked, confused.

Sam frowned. "If you hadn't been so busy drooling over Paulina, you'd have noticed too."

They were about to transform into their ghost forms, but the real Paulina crawled out from under an outdoor lunch table, clearly injured, first. "Somebody help me!" Paulina squealed. "That jerk attacked me and left me here to bleed!"

"On second thought," Danny said. "Maybe you'd better help Paulina."

"Why should I help her?" Sam asked.

"Sam!" Danny whispered. "Remember the halfa's job to help humans? Besides, I don't know first aid!"

Sam groaned. "Fine," she said. "Just don't expect Paulina and I to be the best of friends after this." She pulled a mini-first aid kit out of her pocket. She started to go to help Paulina, but paused to say to Danny, "If I help her, I don't think I'll have enough to help you or Tucker, so be careful!"

There was just a bit of an awkward pause before Danny said, "Don't worry – I'll be careful." Danny hid behind a tree and went ghost. He flew off after Tucker and the ghost.

* * *

Tucker's ghost sense went off – again! It was right as Paulina was leaning her head on his shoulder too.

Oh no! He didn't want to blow off his new cheerleader girlfriend, but he knew he couldn't ignore the ghost at the movie theater after letting Danny and Sam handle the last ghost by themselves.

Tucker stood up.

"Where are you going?" Paulina asked.

Tucker got very nervous. "Who, me?" he asked. "I'm just going to get us some more popcorn! I'll be right back."

"But we still have half a tub of popcorn," Paulina pointed out. "Tucker Foley, if you leave now, I'll never go out with you again!"

Tucker swallowed hard, not happy about the choice he had to make. "I-" A blue vampire-like ghost flew into the theater, attacking the movie-goers who were screaming and leaving on account of the ghost. "I've got to go," he said.

Paulina's shape melted away, until there was nothing left but a small shriveled canine ghost. It tackled Tucker, growling, "You're not going anywhere – halfa-in-training!"

Tucker looked disappointed. "So I guess I've still never actually gone on a date with a cheerleader, huh?"

It was then that Danny flew into the theater in his ghost form. He saw Tucker and said, "I was going to warn you it was a trap, but I guess you already figured it out."

Tucker phased through the theater floor, leaving Danny a clear target to shoot at. "Get out of here, fiend!" he yelled at Foxy. "You're not welcome!"

Foxy dodged the ectoblast and said, "Well, I'm out of here."

Danny frowned. "It shouldn't be that easy, should it?"

Tucker reappeared in the theater, coming out of the floor. "Dude, that fox-ghost isn't our only problem." He pointed at the blue ghost that had spotted them.

The ghost flew over. "Well, well, what have we here?" he asked. "New candidates for the halfa's niche?"

"Tucker," Danny whispered. "Who is he?"

"No idea," Tucker answered.

"Oh pardon me, where are my manners?" the ghost asked. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vlad Plasmius – the most powerful ghost around. You might as well surrender now, and save yourselves a most humiliating defeat."

"Yeah?" Danny called. "I think you're all bark and no bite! You can either leave this city alone, or we can do this the hard way." Danny shot a series of ectoblasts at Plasmius, who easily deflected them with an cytoplasmic shield.

Plasmius yawned for show. "Please, young Phantom," he said. "What makes you think a hopeless newbie like you can outmatch an seasoned professional like me?" Plasmius duplicated himself in four. "Now _this_ is how it's done!" he exclaimed, all four Vlads shooting at Danny.

Danny got hit square in the chest and was thrown onto the floor between rows of seats. He was knocked out. Tucker gulped. "Oh no," he said. "I guess it's up to me." Tucker went invisible and charged the ghost, only to be grabbed by a Vlad who was all too ready for him.

"Pathetic," said Plasmius. "These are the new trainees?" He laughed a sharp barking laugh. "It's enough to make me wonder why I wasted a trip to beat you to a pulp."

"Hey you!" Sam shouted. "Leave my friends alone!" She summoned forth violet energy, which she sent in a beam at Plasmius. Plasmius put up a shield, but the purple energy just flowed around it, completely surrounding the villain.

"Hmm," Plasmius thought. "It doesn't even hurt. I can't see a purpose of this other than to drain your power." Plasmius tried to fly out of the purple sphere, but found it quite difficult to fly through.

"Guys!" Sam shouted. "Get him while I've still got him!"

"Right," Danny said. "Tucker, you attack from that side. I'll attack from this one."

"Why do I have to move?" Tucker whined, but flew to do as Danny said anyways. They didn't exactly have time to argue.

Plasmius tried to shield himself from Danny's incoming green ectoblast and Tucker's shower of popcorn barrels and empty sodas, now shrouded in a blue ghostly energy, at the same time, but it was harder to fend off two attacks than one – especially without enough room inside Sam's sphere to create a duplicate of himself to put up more shields.

"Again!" Danny called. "If we keep hitting him, eventually he'll run out of stamina, right?"

"Only if we don't run out of stamina first," Tucker admitted.

"Keep going guys!" Sam called. "I'm not sure I can keep this up much longer." As she spoke, her sphere faded, and she was left winded near the theater floor. Fortunately, Plasmius also was feeling pretty weak.

"Alright, I've had my fun," he said. "You children may have won this battle, but I will return and conquer you all!" Laughing like a maniac, he disappeared.

Danny looked between his two friends. "A containment field? Telekinesis? Nice!"

From the corner of the theater, two previously unseen spectators started applauding – Clockwork, and his sister, the Lifecycle.

"Well done, children," said Lifecycle. "You have grown much."

"But now the period of trail is over," Clockwork added, "and all is about to become as it should be."

Still in their ghost modes, the three teenagers stood close together and whispered to each other. "What does he mean by that?" Tucker asked.

"I think we're done with the test they were giving us," Danny whispered.

"But we're not done with our books yet!" Tucker said. "At least, I'm not. And what about all those other books? How can it be over?"

"Though hard to believe it may seem," Clockwork answered. "The proper time for things to happen isn't usually when you expect them. Your instructions weren't just for during the testing period, but for afterwards as well."

"You are all about equally qualified for the position of the halfa," Lifecycle said. "But we have made our selection..."


	9. Epilogue

**Thanks goes to KP100 for voting and for alerting me to a problem with the poll.  
**

**Thanks to my reviewers!**

**Replies:**

**Luiz4200 - I've never heard of the Xiaolin Showdown, but it is kind of funny that this cheese head reminds you of another cheese head.**

**aem82 - Thanks!**

**:)**

**Thanks also go to Shadowy Flip Flops of Doom for setting the challenge.

* * *

**

Epilogue

"... Danny! Congratulations!"

"Me?" asked Danny, startled by the choice. "How? I did mess up pretty badly that one time."

"Did you?" Clockwork asked, amused.

"What matters is that you did what was right," Lifecycle said. "After you messed up, you worked to make it right and to change your ways. We're willing to forget it if you are. We _can_ do that you know." She turned to the new halfa's two friends. "As for you two, you also did well during the test. You will both be returned to your full human status, but you will always keep what you learned during your short time as halfas."

Lifecycle stretched out her arms and sent green ghostly energy to engulfed the two children. Sam's gray eyes returned to their normal violet and she regained human color. However, the streak of violet in her hair did remain. Tucker's blue became mixed with other colors, and faded away to leave him looking as his human self. Yet, his beret was left with a blue TF on the front. They were both back in their street clothes instead of the jumpsuits they'd put on in the lab the day they'd turned on the Fenton Ghost Portal. "The changes are a mostly just a reminder," Lifecycle said, "but they will shield you from some harmful ghostly energy you may be exposed to while helping your friend."

"Now that the test is over, there is something you, as the new halfa, and your friends need to take care of," Clockwork said. "There are some people to inform of your new status, no matter how hard it will be to tell them. We can't have our new halfa being shot at by, or hiding things from, his parents, can we? You know what to do."

"Well, I guess it's to Fenton Works then," said Danny. He took his two friends by the hands. "Would you come with me for moral support?"

"Of course Danny, we're your friends!" Sam said.

Danny smiled at his friends' support and said, "I guess we'd better get going then." He lifted them off the ground and flew the three of them to Fenton Works.


End file.
